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Comal County selects architects for new jail

NEW BRAUNFELS — The Comal County Commissioners Court on Thursday selected HDR Architecture to design the county’s new jail.

The jail, which will be funded with $76 million in bonds that voters approved in November, will be a roughly 600-bed facility with room for expansion to 900 beds. The current jail has space for 337 beds.

The current jail is overcrowded and expensive to maintain, county officials have said.

“HDR impressed us with its commitment to designing a quality jail that will meet both our needs and our budget,” said County Judge Sherman Krause. “We look forward to working with the HDR team as we move forward on this important project.”

HDR Architecture has been designing of correctional facilities since 1976, county officials said.

After issuing a request for qualifications on Nov. 24, seven architecture firms responded by the Jan. 12 deadline. The Commissioners Court on March 2 interviewed three firms, from which HDR was selected Thursday. In coming months, the county also will select a project manager and construction manager-at-risk as it moves forward with plans for the new jail.

“It’s difficult to make a choice like this, but HDR’s flexibility and experience with nearby projects stood out to me,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Webb said.